Method of packaging wire staples and the package produced thereby



Jan. 20, 1925- 1,523,392

TY A. BRIGGS METHOD OF PACKAGING WIRE STAPLES AND THE PACKAGE PRODUCED THEREBY Filed DeC. l4, 1922 Patented Jan. 2t), i925.

THOMAS A. BRIGGS, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO BOSTON WIRE STITCHER COMPANY, 0F PORTLAND, MAIU'E, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

METHOD OIF PACKAGING V/'IRE STAPLES AND THE PACKAGE PRODUCED THEREBYx Application filed December 14, 1922. Serial No. 606,858.

To all cui/0m t may concern.'

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. BRrGGs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence, State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Packaging `Wire Staples and the Packages Produced Thereby, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved method of packaging wire staples and to the package for the same. l

One object of the invention is to provide a method of putting up wire staples in merchantable packages wherebythey may be conveniently handled and transported in compact form for supplying refills to hand stapling machines, employed as office or desk appliances, and also to other types of machines used in various manufacturing arts.

Another object of-the invention is to provide a iiexible strip-like holder for the staples which may be. wound into a roll of compact form to be packed within a minimum space for shipment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rolled strip of staples which may be used as a supply charge for the machine to adapt the staples to be delivered individually therefrom as required by the stapling operation. i

Another object of the invention is to provide for holding the staples in alined relation on the strip in correct position for delivery one at a time to the stapling-mechanism without danger of their becoming misalined or getting loose to jam or clog the machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carrying-strip or holder for the staples which may be constructed from fiber or paper stock to render it so inexpensive that it may be discarded or thrown awayafter the staples have been stripped therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide a holder or container to which the staples may be applied during the process of their manufacture. y

YAnother object of the invention is to provide a holder or container for the staples which may be constructed from strip mate- Vrial fed into the staple-forming machine, so

that both the holder and its staples are manufactured at the same time and delivered as a complete package with the staples assembled in place on the holder.

Further objects of the improvement are set forth in the following specification which describes a preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated by the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

ig. l is a view in perspective of a length of the rolled staple-strip or holder showing the staples assembled thereon;

F ig. 2, a. slightly enlarged View showing a short section of the strip with a portion of its folded side torn away to illustrate the manner in which the staples are held in place by an inner core extending between their overlying legs;

Fig. 3, a perspective view of a section of the inner core of the strip;

Fig. 4, a similar view of the overlying cover-strip or Wrapper for the core;

Fig. 5, a cross-sectional view of the staple-holder showing the manner in which the wrapper-strip is folded around the inner core'with the staples straddling the latter to h old them in alinement; and

Fig. G, a perspective view of one of the staples which the package is designed to contain.

My improved package is designed for holding alarge number of separate wire staples as distinguished from the type of flat staples which are constructed from sheet metal and joined together in a continuous length. Staples of the present type are formed from wire cut into short lengths and bent into inverted U-shape, see Fig. of the drawings, and are used for stapling together sheets of paper, fastening tags and tickets to articles, closing envelopes and for sundry other purposes. Various types of stapling machines are employed for inserting the sta-ples through the work and bendingand clinching their legs thereagainst.y and reference is had to U. S. Letters Patent No. 836,662, dated November 20, 1906; No. 850,290, dated April ie, i907; No. 1,119,093, dated Decembery l, 1914; and U. S. patent application Serial No. 567,303, filed June lO, 1922, as illustrative thereof. ln some types of wire-stitching machines the staples are formed in t-he machine from a continuous length of Wire fed thereto; but with hand Staplers and foot-power machines it is the more common practice to supply the staples in commercial packages from which they may7 be delivered to the staplinganechanisin of the machine.

Heretofore it has been the usual method to package the staples on a wooden stick, or on a hollow metal core of rectangular shape in cross-section, but this is a wasteful practice as the wooden and metal sticks are costly to manufacture, besides being cumbersome and bulky and adding to the size and weight of the package.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a holder or container for the staples which will be less bulky in size, lighter' in weight, and much less eX- pensive to .manufacture To this end I have devised a holder or container which may be constructed from stiff paper, fiber or similar inexpensive stock, and which may be rolled or doubled on itself to compact the assembled staples into a minimum of space, while being capable of presenting them to the. stapling machine in position to be properly delivered to th-e stapling-mechanism thereof.

Referring to the drawings, my improved staple holder or package consists essentially of a composite strip 2 of flexible material on which the staples are assembled in parallel alinement with, their legs in overlapping relation. The strip 2 comprises two connected parts, an inner fiat core 3, shown in Fig. 3, and an outer cover or wrapper el, see Fig. t, having its marginal portions 5 fol-ded down around the edges of the core 3 in the manner as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 5.

The core l3 is constructed from somewhat heavier stock than the cover or wrapper strip et, and any suitable inexpensive mate# rial may be used for the purpose such as heavy cardboard, straw-board, rag or jute liber or the like.. The overlying wrapper strip 4: is made from somewhat thinner matcrial, such as strong, tough paper, or I may employ a fibrous material such as jute tag stock or the like.

The staples s, shown in detail in Fig. G, are assembled on the strip or holder 2 by piercing their legs through the outer marginal portions of the wrapper l so that they straddle the underlying core S. The preferred method of applying the staples to the strip 2 is by feeding the latter through the machine in which the staples are manufactured so that as each staple is formed it may be inserted in the wrapperl by piercing or punching its legs therethrough. The successivelyV formed staples s are pierced through the wrapper 4. with their cross-bars lying in parallel relation at a slight distance apart to leave sufficient stock to insure that the legs of the staples will not tear away `the paper or other material of the strip. It will' be understood, of course, that the staples s are inserted through the upper strip or wrapper 4 before the marginal portions of the latter are folded around the underlying core 3, the purpose ofV the core or bottom strip 3 being to maintain the staples in alinement.

After the staples have been pierced through the strip in the manner Vas above explained they are collapsed or nested as shown most clearly in Fig. 2 to bring their legs into overlapped relation with each other. The under strip or core 3 is preferablv of a width to adapt its marginal edges G to press slightly against the straddled legs of the staples to frictionally grip the latter to hold them from dislodgment, and the over-hanging portions 5 of the upper strip or wrapper et are folded around the under side of the core at S, see Figs. 2 and 5, to further bind and secure the staples in place. In some cases, however, the core 3 might be dispensed with and the staples carried solely by the folded wrapper' 4.

I have found that by employing a sufficiently stiff material for the wrapper or holding strip 4 its folded portions 8 may be pressed or creased into place so that there will be no tendency for them to unfold or become loose from the edges of the core 3. If desired, however, the overlapped portions 8 of the wrapper 4f might be pasted, glued, stitched or otherwise permanently fastened to the core 3 to render the union more secure. nfs-Jaan,

The folding and creasing of the wrapperstrip 4 around the edgesof the core 3 may be accomplished b v feeding the whole strip through suitable dies or rollers after the staples havebeen applied thereto by piercing their legs through the wrapper, it being understood that the staples 3 are collapsed von the core 3' previous tothe folding operation through the application of pressure on their legs. VAll of these several operations of-forming the staples; piercing their legs through the wrapper-strip 4:; collapsing them into nested relation on the core 3; and folding and creasing the marginal portions of the wrapper around the edges or the core may be performed in close sequence as the two parts of the staple holder or strip 2 are fed through the staple-manufacturing machine. n

After the staples have been assembled on, and bound to, the strip or holder 2 in the manner as described the strip .may be doubled or rolled on itself as illustrated in Fig. l, to produce a more compact package. The stock from which the wrapper Il: Vahd core 3 are constructed is chosen for pliability to allow for rolling the strip, butin some cases I have found it of advantage Vto slightly score or crimp the under side of the core 3 as shown at 9 in Fig. 3' to further enhance its flexibility and guard against splitting or rupturing the stock.V V Y It will be observed from the foregoing ies CII

Cil

that my invent-ion provides a particularly neat and attractive method of packaging Wire staples in commercial form for convenient handling, packing and shipping. Moreover, the improved package is of minimum bulk and Weight and is adapted to compact alarge number of staples Within a minimum space While holding them in proper relation for -delivery to the staplingmechanism of the machine in which they are used.

M'y improved package Will accommodate five thousand or more staples in a roll of a few inches in diameter, and such a roll or strip may be used as a charge for the stapling machine in much the same manner as an ammunition belt is employed in automatic or rapid-fire machine guns. The individual staples are securely held in alined relation on the strip or package Without danger of their breaking loose or becoming misalined and misplaced to clog or choke the machine.

In addition my improved holder for the staples is most economical to manufacture, and being of minimum Weight and bulk and foldable on itself it lends itself to more compact grouping in packing or boxing for shipment.

It is to be understood Vthat while I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, the same is susceptible of various modifications Without departing from its spirit or scope as expressed in the appended claims. Therefore, Without limiting myself herein strictly as to form, arrangement and material, I claim:

l. An improved package for Wire staples consisting in a composite holder comprising a substantially flat band-like core, and a strip of flexible material overlying the core With Vthe staples arranged in parallel relation therealong and having their legs pierced therethrough to straddle the edges of the core.

2. An improved package for Wire staples consisting in a composite strip comprising a substantially flat band-like core, and a Wrapper of flexible material overlying the core with its marginal portions folded around the edges thereof, the staples being arranged across 'the Width of the strip With their legs pierced through the Wrapper and nested in overlapped contiguous relation along the edges of the core.

3. An improved package for Wire staples consisting in a band-like core, and a covering strip or ribbon of flexible material overlying its top and folded around its edges and having the staples arranged cross- Wise thereof with their legs pierced through the strip and nested in overlapped relation on the core to adapt the strip to be rolled or doubled on itself to compact the Whole within a minimum space.

4. As a new article of commerce a continuous staple-carrying tape consisting in a flexible strip of material having the staples placed in parallel relation thereacross with their legs pierced through the marginal portions thereof and nested in overlapped relation therealong with the edges of the strip folded back to enclose the same.

5. A new article of commerce consisting in a staple-carrying tape comprising a strip of flexible material having the staples placed thereacross in parallel contiguous arrangement with their legs pierced therethrough and nested in overlapped relation and the marginal portions of the strip folded therearound.

6. An improved method of packaging Wire staples consisting in arranging them in parallel relation with their legs straddled across a band-like strip and nested to overlap one another therealong, and placing a flexible Wrapper across the top of the strip and folding its marginal portions around the edges thereof to enclose the legs of the staples.

7. An improved method of packaging staples consisting in arranging them in parallel relation across a strip of flexible material with their legs pierced therethrough and nested in overlying relation therealong, and folding the marginal sides of the strip across the legs of the staples to hold them in place.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature.

THOMAS A. BRIGGS. 

